Looking through me
by Izzy6mangalife
Summary: One day, Craig died. So Kenny really doesn't see why he should come back to haunt him now, more than six months later, whining about the fact that nobody can see him. Maybe he should have thought of that before he decided to become a ghost. And maybe Kenny knows more than he'll let on…
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I haven't written anything in ages, but I hope the time has come to make a comeback! I never thought it would be this hard to write a second fic... Hope I won't let anyone down! ^^ Craig and Kenny again, I know, but I haven't brought them to life in a while and was missing them. Besides, Kenny is actually a guy this time, so I'm not being too monotonous, am I? ;)

I own nothing and hope you enjoy! :3

Looking through me

Chapter 1

When Craig Tucker opened his eyes and found himself staring directly up Bebe Stevens' skirt, he knew something was amiss. Still, he didn't let his sense of foreboding bother him. The sight was not altogether unpleasant, as the striped kitten printed on her underwear smiled at him comfortingly, waving a paw. Craig found himself smiling.

"Hello to you too, Mister Tabbsypuss." he found himself muttering under his breath. As Bebe stepped away and Mr. Tabbsypuss left his field of vision, glaring sunlight blinded him. Craig's squinting eyes gradually adjusted to the light, and he was soon able to stare up into the sky.

What a glorious day. The sun was shining, the sky was a perfect blue, interrupted only here and there by a few puffy white clouds, which pleasantly reminded him of candy floss. And in the midst of all this, there was he, Craig Tucker, catching some rays. He couldn't help but close his eyes and smile contentedly. Truly, he thought, this was how life was meant to be.

Suddenly, violently, reality caught up with seventeen-year-old Craig Tucker. His eyes flew open and he jumped up.

"Okay, what the serious fuck".

Craig's brain never began functioning properly until a good few minutes after he woke up, but this was ridiculous. He struggled frantically to regain his bearings, looking about him with the alarmed, puzzled eyes of someone who, after sleeping over at a friend's house, wakes up expecting to find himself in his own room at home. Everything around him was screamingly familiar to him, and yet for a couple of long, panicky moments he felt completely lost, his brain still protesting it was too tired to process any sort of information. Still, everything slowly began to make sense to him, as he found himself staring stupidly at his own high school's front gates. It all felt extremely surreal, as though he were looking at the familiar sight through a clouded-over lens. Students were milling around him, taking no notice as he gaped at the building. Something was wrong. He could sense it.

As Craig stood, trying to remember what had happened the previous evening, since his immediate response was to blame his sudden memory loss on a night of wild partying gone awry, his breath was suddenly knocked from his lungs. An icy chill shot through him, traveling down his spine, as he struggled for breath. He felt as though he had just been punched in the stomach, and the eeriest part of it was that he felt no pain, only a sick churning feeling in the pit of his stomach. For a moment, Craig feared he was going to throw up. Before he had time to realize what had happened, the feeling was gone. Craig turned wildly around, but there were no assailants in sight. To tell the truth, there was no one who seemed even remotely interested in him. True, he'd never exactly been Mr. Popular, but he had expected drinking buddies Clyde and Token to call out to him as usual as they approached him, and maybe exchange a "Hey" or fistbump as they walked past him. Instead, the two didn't even acknowledge his existence as they carried on their conversation, though it was impossible for them not to have noticed him:

"That Tweek though cracks me up man. I could legit have a low-key crush on the guy!" Clyde grinned.

"Call me for the wedding, will you?".

Craig stared after them as Clyde cuffed Token on the back of the neck, only half jokingly. For a moment he stood there, puzzled and not knowing whether to feel offended or not. He quickly pulled himself together, settling on the second and telling himself to get a grip. He had greater things to worry about rather than mope around like a five year old girl. Firstly, why in the world was he even here? What day was it? Could he really have been so idiotic as to go out drinking on a school night and pass out in the middle of the road? How had he not been trampled to death? And what the hell had been up with Bebe, ignoring him and stepping over him instead of at least trying to wake him up? Craig's mind reeled. He tried to stop the flow of questions and focus on what was really important at the moment: trying to recall the night before. He looked down at himself, in case his clothes could in some way give him a clue. Nothing new there: black tee shirt, blue jumper and dark jeans, as usual. Craig started breaking out in cold sweat. He had always been a drinker, but only because he could hold his liquor. Blacking out like this was new to him, and terrifying. He frantically searched his pockets for his phone. Maybe someone had been with him last night. That someone would probably have a million unflattering stories to tell regarding his conduct the night before which he would probably never be able to live down, but Craig found that he had never before wanted to see anyone as much as he wanted to see this potential witness to his idiocies now. To his dismay, he found that all his pockets were empty.

 _Either I've been robbed, or I'm an even bigger idiot than I thought._ Craig thought despairingly.

At that moment, as panic began to grip him and he lifted his gaze, a more than welcome sight met his eyes. Craig was instantly relieved: he could see the whole gang just a little ways off, congregating in front of the school building. Clyde and Token had joined Tweek and Kenny, and even elusive Stan and Kyle had miraculously made an appearance. Craig was even pleased to see the ever-dorky Butters, standing in the sidelines and desperately trying to join the conversation. Surely of all his friends at least one would have known what the hell he'd been up to the night before. Craig quickly made his way towards them, expertly dodging rushing latecomers just as the bell began to ring.

"Hey guys!" he said as he joined the circle, squeezing between Clyde and Tweek. Clyde deserved punishment for ignoring him after all, he decided. However, the circle broke the moment he joined it. The guys had already begun to trudge into the building, joking and laughing at each other to alleviate the pain of the prospect of another day of endless boredom. Anger and hurt flared in Craig's heart. The yell was out of his mouth before he could stop himself:

"What the hell is _wrong_ with you guys! Is this some sort of sick prank? Do you want to get me back for something I did last night? 'Cause if so you might as well quit while you're ahead, because I can't remember a goddamn thing!".

But it was too late. His friends, who evidently didn't consider _him_ so anymore, had already disappeared within the building.

"God _damn_ it!" Craig yelled as he fiercely kicked a stone in his path.

The stone did not move. All Craig felt instead of the satisfying impact between foot and rock was a chill that shot from his toes to his entire body. His stomach churned and he doubled over, clutching his shuddering sides and again feeling that he was going to be sick.

 _What is going on?_

 _WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO ME?_

Craig lifted his head in desperate confusion. His gaze met a pair of familiar eyes, embedded in a cloud of orange fabric and staring at him through clumps of untidy blond hair.

He and Kenny were the only ones left in the deserted courtyard.

Never before had Craig felt so relieved to see someone. He held out his arms and opened his mouth to speak, but the blond beat him to it, uttering the most comforting words that had ever sounded to Craig's ears.

"Well, fuck".

 _I couldn't have put it better myself, my man._ Craig thought gratefully.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi everyone! :3 Thanks for all your support! I don't think I'd be able to keep writing if it wasn't for you guys ^^ Also, I will be having exams until next month, so I'm really sorry if updates are irregular! I'll try my best not to make you wait too long though! Hope you all enjoy! ;)

Chapter 2

"Okay I'm sorry, run me through this one more time will you?".

Kenny looked over at Craig, who was standing in front of him, holding his head in his hand and furrowing his brow as he struggled to come to grips with what the blonde had been telling him.

"Like I said," Kenny said in a tone which was both disinterested and annoyed, "I really don't see how it's possible for you to be here. You've been dead for six months already".

"And you seriously expect me to believe that?" Craig muttered skeptically, more to himself than to anyone else.

"I don't see why I should lie to you." Kenny answered, gazing around in boredom.

"You're really trying to say that you're talking to a friend of yours who has been dead for six months, and you're this unfazed?".

"That's kind of what it looks like, yeah." Kenny answered, turning his attention back to Craig. "I mean, ours always has been an easy-going kind of friendship right? You never said anything whenever I came to hang out at your place uninvited. Why should I be surprised at your suddenly popping up on my metaphorical doorstep?".

Kenny smiled at himself, proud of his literary outburst.

"So what you're saying is…". Craig still had the face of one hopelessly struggling with an impossible math problem, "That I'm dead, have somehow, suddenly come back to life…".

"Sort of." Kenny intercepted.

" -And this doesn't in any way strike you as strange?".

Kenny shrugged. Then his eyes brightened as something occurred to him.

"You kicked the bucket before I did." he told Craig seriously, "I find that _very_ strange".

 _Well played Kenny_ , Craig thought bitterly, _Well played._

"You know dude, it's not really that hard. I mean, can't you just go along with it? So you've died. So what?".

"So what am I, huh? Why the hell am I even here?" Craig shouted, losing himself. "How can you be so calm about something like this? Do you really not give a shit about me?".

Kenny fell silent as he leaned back onto the wall.

"Should I?" he asked.

Craig looked up fiercely, eyes glinting, fists clenching, but before he could utter a sound, Kenny again interrupted him.

"You're back, right? Isn't that enough for you?".

He looked over at Craig, then turned the other way.

"I'm just glad you're back man" he said in the same disinterested tone. He wasn't able to keep playing it cool however, as after a moment of silence he suddenly found himself choked in a strange cross between a bear hug and a wrestling hold.

He turned to look at Craig, spluttering.

"Dude, what the hell are you doing!".

"Real men know it's all right to get emotional!" Craig answered with a grin as he released Kenny, who gasped for breath. "I just wanted to thank you man. It means a lot. It's been a rough day, you know?".

"I guess I can see where you're coming from." Kenny conceded, still red in the face and panting. "What I really don't get though," he added as he settled back into the comfort of the wall, this time however without half-ignoring his friend, "Is why I can see you and no one else can".

Craig looked up suddenly and seriously.

"I mean, when I saw you back there I thought I must have finally gone insane. I just turned over to ask Clyde what had happened after I'd left the guys last night and there you were squeezing in between him and Tweek, acting as though nothing had happened! I was like, that's it Kenny. Your brain has finally decided to die on you. I tried to ignore it, but I couldn't stand it. I came back for you because I wanted to make sure that it had all been just in my head. And here we are".

Kenny sighed.

"So the guys really can't see me then?" Craig asked. His face had darkened again.

"I'm sorry, but that's what it looks like." Kenny answered, shaking his head and shrugging, "I walked with them a ways before coming back here to make sure, and they didn't so much as mention you. Besides," he added, "Why on earth would they pretend? And how could they not have noticed you? If Clyde had been able to see you," he added with a snigger, "He would have killed you for getting so close to Tweek!".

"See, I don't get what that's all about," Craig said, shaking his head in confusion, "What's this whole deal about Clyde and Tweek anyway?".

"Who knows?" Kenny said with a smirk, "Only time will tell!".

Craig smiled absently in silence.

"Say Ken," he asked, lifting his head to look at him.

"Yeah?".

"What happened to me?".

For a moment, Kenny froze. Craig saw his muscles stiffen, and for a moment his eyes seem to glaze over as his mind flew elsewhere. But he was back with him in a moment.

"You're asking the wrong person Craig." he said, "I really don't know the details. It was all hushed up and kind of mysterious… All I know is that on your last day we were hanging out… At Token's place, I think… And then you left early because you had to do something, but you never told me what. And somehow you never made it back".

"Until now." Craig muttered quietly, more to himself than anyone.

"Until now." Kenny agreed, "In all your ghosty glory".

Craig fell silent.

"You really think that's what it is?" he asked silently, not lifting his head.

"I really don't see how it could be anything else." Kenny answered pensively, "I mean, you've come back to life somewhat, but apart from yours truly, no one can see or hear you. I don't think there's any other explanation. Still," he added, taking a step closer, "I'm surprised that you're not hovering around or whatever. You're not even see-through".

He absent-mindedly put out a hand to flick the strings of Craig's beloved hat. The strings lightly batted Craig's face.

"Ow!".

"Come on, that actually hurt you? You sissy." Kenny mocked.

Craig smiled gratefully and punched Kenny's arm weakly. The impact between his knuckles and his friend's arm felt strangely satisfying and new to him. He looked down at his hand, puzzling for a moment, then pushed the thought away.

"So, what now?" he asked.

"I don't know," Kenny answered, lost in thought.

Craig looked down at his toes.

"Is that really it then?" he asked aloud, "Will I just roam around forever, not knowing what the hell happened to me or why I'm even here? I mean, what am I supposed to do? Is there a reason why I came back, and I'm just wasting my time?".

He shook his head despairingly, visibly at a loss. Kenny looked at him, then lowered his gaze and sighed.

"Stop being so depressed all the time!" he said, putting an arm around Craig's neck, "Hell, we have nothing better to do right? If you really want to know, let's try and find out what happened to you. That'll make you stop moping around like an angsty goth kid, won't it?". He flashed Craig what he knew to be a winning grin, and he felt a weight being lifted within him as his friend's eyes brightened again.

"I mean, you may not like what you find." Kenny warned immediately, "If it was all hushed up, there's got to have been a reason for it right?".

One look at Craig, and he knew nothing he could say would change his mind now. Determination burned in his eyes, and Kenny knew that the only thing his friend could think of now was getting to the bottom of the mystery that surrounded him. There would be no backing out now. For the briefest of moments, Kenny asked himself whether getting into this mess had been a good idea. He found his answer in Craig's grin as he straightened up and came towards him.

"Come on, we'll be fine!" he said brightly, "Thanks Ken. I needed that. I don't know what's up with me today, but I'm glad you're here with me. You've always got my back!" he grinned again, putting his hand out for a cheesy but much-needed fistbump.

"You can bet your sorry ass I do!" Kenny replied, returning it. "Come on," he added, "Let's get out of here".

"Sure thing." Craig replied. As if to confirm his words, he leaned back one last time and lifted his gaze to take in his surroundings. It truly did feel nostalgic to be here, he realized. If anyone last year had told him a time would come when he would actually miss this dump, he never would have believed them. And here he was now, the sentimental fool.

He looked over at Kenny.

"So you missed me?" he asked, smiling.

For a moment Kenny opened his mouth to protest, then he thought better of it. He blushed, rubbing his neck.

"I missed you".


End file.
